Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Light heavyweight gold was on the line in Saturday’s UFC 300 main event, capping off a historic card with returning former champion Jamahal Hill taking on reigning 205-pound kingpin Alex Pereira.
Hill suffered a torn Achilles tendon outside the cage and never lost his light heavyweight title. Meanwhile, Pereira also dominated middleweight in less than 10 fights, winning his second UFC title in his second weight class.
The pair traded leg kicks early on in the process of feeling a bit off. Hill then went to the body and fired his right hand over it. Other than that, the two lanky fighters played something like a chess match, finding distance and position and utilizing their footwork above all else. Hill sent a high kick that was blocked, while Pereira aimed a punch to the body.
A kick then landed low on Pereira, who stood stiff-faced, didn’t take a second to recover, and actually swatted away referee Herb Dean’s hand as he tried to call time. Her decision turned out to be correct. Moments later, Alex Pereira sat Jamahal Hill with a single left-handed punch. A downpour of hammer fists gave him no choice when the referee was too slow to shake him off. Hill’s night ended as “Poitan” made his first defense of the light heavyweight title in violent fashion. On the biggest stage.
Official Results: Alex Pereira def. Jamahal Hill KO, Round 1, 3:14
